State Senate Panel Shoots Down Bill Aimed At Pension Reform

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Illinois officials have been emphasizing for months that changes must be made to the state pension system to deal with myriad financial problems, but sometimes, reform is easier said than done.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports, the state House of Representatives passed a pension reform bill by a unanimous vote in March. But that bill has now hit a roadblock in the state Senate.

The bill would have forced local governments to pay the additional pension costs when they give former state lawmakers well-paying jobs for short periods of time, for the purpose of increasing their pension benefits.

But on Wednesday, a state Senate committee rejected the bill.

The sponsor, House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) tells the Chicago Tribune the vote shows some House members refuse to admit that abuses are taking place.

One senator voting no, Sen. Donne Trotter (D-Chicago), said the measure is an overreaction to some isolated cases, the Tribune reported.